Part of a training course I recently attended included strategies to help advisors improve their sales. The instructor asked, “What’s the worst thing a prospect can say when you ask them to do business with you?” Most of the 200-plus people in the room agreed that the worst reply would be, “No, I’m not interested.”

But I disagree. Depending on the type of prospect you’re talking to, a response of “no” can actually be a good thing. In fact, “yes” can actually be more of a problem in some cases! To better understand why, read on.

There are three types of prospects you need to know about. I categorize prospects into three types, or levels, based on their personalities. When I meet a prospect, I want to know what kind of client they’re going to be before I decide to start working with them.